My dog's ear was up, now flopping after injury. Is it normal?

The outer ear of the dog (the pinna) is made of cartilage, and that is what helps Rolo's ears stand up. It sounds like she experienced some damage to her ears if she had a aural hematoma in them (what you referred to as blood clots), and there is the possibility that the cartilage was damaged enough that her ears will remain floppy. Over time, however, they may heal and her ears could return to standing up. Unfortunately I can't say for certain one way or another, only time will tell. Best of luck.

Hi! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian so that it can be determined if perhaps he still has some remaining inflammation/infection in the inner parts of the ear that could be causing that. Also, they can evaluate his cranial nerves to make sure that it is not primarily a neurologic issue. Good luck!

That could be completely normal, but sometimes (not very often I have to admit) is related to ear infection/inflammation. If you see any signs of possible inflammation (head shaking, scratching, discharge from ear, redness of skin..) then a check up is needed, otherwise I would consider it normal. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Sometimes this can be contributed to developmental factors and the cartilage in the ear becomes more firm in a particular position. Sometimes an ear infection can cause an ear to lay differently then the other. I would recommend having Lily's ears examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Unfortunately this may be a so-called othematoma, ie a severe bruise of the ear flap. This will need to be drained or possibly fixed surgically by your veterinarian. It is very important that your dog does not shake the ear and make the swelling worse. You can get an e-collar which sort of keeps the ear near the head and does not allow it to flop until you can take Ozzy to the vet.

Hello, I think that is how Harley is going to have his ears. Its unlikely he has had an ear infection for that long if he has not been shaking his head, scratching at his ears non-stop, or developing a head tilt, crying or whining in pain, or if he doesn't have discharge with a foul smell. All of these are signs of an ear infection. Harley may continue to have that bend in his hears as his normal self. As the cartilages develop fully, he may change the appearance of his ears, but at 9 months, he may not change them. If you note any of the above signs, then Harley should be seen by a veterinarian to have his hears checked. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Great question! She is just fine like this. Ear hematomas do wrinkle the ear flap. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to correct it. The best thing you can do is to make sure she doesn't get anymore hematomas by keeping her ears clean.